Salvage device for canned fluid residues



Nov. 10, 1964 A. c. ERICKSON 3,156,270

SALVAGE DEVICE FOR CANNED FLUiD RESIDUE$ I Filed May 24, 1963 2 Sheebs-Sheet 1 INVENTOR A ene 0e a EP/CL/JOM 4 7702 NE Y5.

Nov. 10, 1964, A. c. ERICKSON 3,156,270

SALVAGE DEVICE FOR CANNED FLUID RESIDUES Filed May 24, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4. P76. 6.

za q I 1N VENTOR 427/708 a EE/C'KSO V,

BY yy/gu flfi n 9mm ATTO/EA/EYS 3,156,270 SALVAGE DEVICE FOR CANNED FLUID RESIDUES Arthur C. Erickson, 120 W. Almeria Road,

Phoenix,

Filed May 24, 1963, Ser. No. 283,063 3 Claims. (Cl. 141-106) This invention relates to a salvage device, and in particular to a device for conserving the residual oil remaining in cans, as in service stations, after dispensing the contents into the crankcase of a motor. The viscosity of the oil is such that complete drainage of the can would be prohibitive in the matter of time, so that it is customary to compromise the time permitted for emptying of the contents. T he quantity remaining in the can may be considered as negligible, in the case of a single can, and in fact the loss to the customer is no worse than it was in the days when service stations dispensed oil through the use of a measuring cup. However, in the case of canned oil, the residual oil would represent a complete economic waste if unsalvaged, and while this is negligible in the case of a single can, it becomes appreciable, cumulatively, during the course of a day in service station operations.

It is, therefore, a general object of the invention to provide a salvage means for residual oil packaged containers. Proposals looking to a solution of this problem have been made heretofore, and it is, therefore, a further object of the invention to provide a salvaging device which is more efficient and effective than those heretofore known.

Yet another object is to provide a salvage device in which several containers may be permitted to drain simultaneously. A still further object is to provide a longperiod drainage device which also doubles as a repository for empty cans, a related object being to achieve a visual effect wherein such a device appears to be nothing more than a repository for cans.

It is among the objects to provide a device as aforesaid, which is, additionally, simple in structure, low in cost, and easy of manufacture, operation and maintenance.

These and other objects, which will be apparent, are attained by the present invention, a preferred form of which is described in the following specification, as illustrated in the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan View of the salvage system, showing a draining oil can in dash lines,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view, taken on the plane of the line 2P2 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2,

IGURE 4 is an enlarged view of a fragment of FIG- URE 3, showing the draining can in solid lines, and partly bro-ken away,

FIGURE 5 is a bracketed view, in perspective, of the parts of the salvage system, in exploded form, which are used in association with a trash barrel or the like, and

FKGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, showing a modified form of collector for the salvaged oil.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, there is shown a cylindrical, steel barrel or container 10, of conventional construction, such as those commonly placed in the general pump area of a service station, for collection of general refuse. In the past this refuse has sometimes indiscriminately included incompletely drained oil cans, Where the operators hadneither the means nor the inclination to salvage the contents. In the use of the present invention, the common trash barrel can be utilized in the salvaging process. Thus, there is shown, in association with the barrel, a gang holder 12, in the form of an endless tube or a circularly-disposed or split, ring-form tube. The tube 12, which may be closed, or split, as at 14, is suspended in the barrel orcontaiuer 10 in an up- United States Patent 0 3,156,270 Patented Nov. 10, 1964 weirdly-sloping direction by hanger means which is operatrvely connected to the tube .12 at a plurality of spaced points thereabout and which is dependingly supported from the open top of the container. Specifically, the hanger means comprises three brackets 16, 18, 20, the first two being secured to the circular tube on about spacing, and having looped ends 22 for hanging over the beaded rim 24 of the barrel. The third bracket 20 hung by its looped end 25, supports the tube through the intermediary of the drainage can 26 (FIGURE 2) and to this end is provided with a U-form lower end 28, to which is attached a U-form strap 30 at right angles, to provide a basket for the can 26. The latter has a top, filler opening 32, and, as seen in FIGURE 2, the circular tube is arranged at an oblique angle to the horizontal, with its lowermost point adjacent the filler opening 32 of the drainage can. At this low point, the tube is bored on its underside, for drainage, and in the bore is secured a tube or spout 34, adapted to be received in top filler opening 32, for precise, and leakproof positioning of the parts.

For manifold operation, the circular tube 12 is provided with .a plurality of drainage stations, each comprismg a segmental form of opening, with a straight chordal edge 36, and an arcuate edge 38. The opening may also be crescentoid. With such an opening, the incompletely drained oil can 44 is conveniently set in the leaning position shown in FIGURE 4, with the round side of the can cooperating with arcuate side 38 of the opening, and beaded bottom edge .2 dwelling on fiat side 36 of the opening, and with the can leaning against the inner surface of the barrel in. In this position, the dispensing opening id of the can 40 overlies the opening in the manifold, the draining oil drips through the latter, and runs downhill through tube 12, and ultimately into can 26, the drainage proceeding at leisure, consistent with the over-all tratiic in engine oil, which, of course, will vary from time-to-time, but the drainage periods may be stabilized over a long interval, such as a days nun. At the end of the allotted time the cans are dropped through the tube ring, to the bottom of the barrel. It should be noted that with the particular arrangement shown, the cans have the casual appearance of having been consigned to trash. This is not to imply that deceit is involved, but merely the avoidance of the possibility that this retrieval of what would otherwise be a distinct loss to everyone, might give rise to the suspicion on the part of .the customer that he is being exploited.

in the modification shown in FIGURE 6, the can 26 is placed on the bottom of the barrel, a third hook 46 similar to hooks 16, it; is secured to the tube near the spout 34, and the latter is provided with a flexible drain tube 48 of oil-resistant material, leading to the top opening 32 in can 26. -It is also possible to run the tube 48 through the barrel it to a receptacle located outside of the barrel, whereby its condition of filling may be readily observed, and interchange easily made.

While a certain, preferred embodiment has been shown and described, various modifications will be apparent, in the light of this disclosure, and the invention should not, therefore, be deemed as limited, except insofar as shall appear from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A salvage device comprising an open top container having a bottom adapted to rest upon a ground surface, a gang holder embodying an endless tube conformably shaped to tit within and extend about the interior of said container, said tube being insertable through the open top of said container and disposed within said container so that it is below and spaced from the open top of said container and extends in an upwardly sl-oping direction, hanger means operatively connected to said tube at a plurality of spaced points thereabout and dependiugly supported from the open top of said container for supporting said tube in the aforesaid position within said container, there being a plurality of drainage openings in said tube and opening to the upper side of said tube, a spout opening to the lower side of said tube, and a drainage reccp tacle disposed within said container and supported in said container in fluid-receiving relation with respect to said spout, said tube being operable to support an incompletely drained can in a position in which the dispensing opening of said can overlies and is in communication with a drainage opening of said tube and the bottom of the can leans against the container inwardly of and adjacent the open top of the container.

2. The salvage device according to claim 1 wherein said hanger means comprises a pair of brackets rising from and secured at spaced points to said tube and dependingly supported from the open top of said container, and a further bracket spaced from said pair of brackets and dependingly supported from the open top of said container, and

wherein said drainage receptacle is supported by said further bracket.

3. The salvage device according to claim 1 wherein said hanger means comprises three brackets rising from and secured at spaced points to said tube and dependingly supported from :the open top of said container, and wherein said drainage receptacle is supported upon the bottom of said container, and a flexible tube extends from the spout to said receptacle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 496,537 5/93 Purrington 141-364 2,025,639 12/35 Bradford 141106 X 2,337,292 12/43 Champion 141375 X 2,781,065 2/57 Hofacer 141364 X LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SALVAGE DEVICE COMPRISING AN OPEN TOP CONTAINER HAVING A BOTTOM ADAPTED TO REST UPON A GROUND SURFACE, A GANG HOLDER EMBODYING AN ENDLESS TUBE CONFORMABLY SHAPED TO FIT WITHIN AND EXTEND ABOUT THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID TUBE BEING INSERTABLE THROUGH THE OPEN TOP OF SAID CONTAINER AND DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER SO THAT IT IS BELOW AND SPACED FROM THE OPEN TOP OF SAID CONTAINER AND EXTENDS IN AN UPWARDLY-SLOPING DIRECTION, HANGER MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID TUBE AT A PLURALITY OF SPACED POINTS THEREABOUT AND DEPENDINGLY SUPPORTED FROM THE OPEN TOP OF SAID CONTAINER FOR SUPPORTING SAID TUBE IN THE AFORESAID POSITION WITHIN SAID CONTAINER, THERE BEING A PLURALITY OF DRAINAGE OPENINGS IN SAID TUBE AND OPENING TO THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID TUBE, A SPOUT OPENING TO THE LOWER SIDE OF SAID TUBE, AND A DRAINAGE RECEPTACLE DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER AND SUPPORTED IN SAID CONTAINER IN FLUID-RECEIVING RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID SPOUT, SAID TUBE BEING OPERABLE TO SUPPORT AN INCOMPLETELY DRAINED CAN IN A POSITION IN WHICH THE DISPENSING OPENING OF SAID CAN OVERLIES AND IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH A DRAINAGE OPENING OF SAID TUBE AND THE BOTTOM OF THE CAN LEANS AGAINST THE CONTAINER INWARDLY OF AND ADJACENT THE OPEN TOP OF THE CONTAINER. 